President Biden on Wednesday issued an order to temporarily halt the deportation of Palestinians from the U.S. for 18 months, citing the worsening humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip and West Bank amid Israel's military offensive against Hamas.
The temporary halt on deportations will be through the Deferred Enforcement Departure, the White House said in a memo.
"Pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct the foreign relations of the United States, I have determined that it is in the foreign policy interest of the United States to defer for 18 months the removal of any Palestinian subject to the conditions and exceptions provided below,"Biden said in the White House statement.
HAMAS HAD COMMAND TUNNEL UNDERNEATH UNRWA’S HEADQUARTERS IN GAZA, ISRAEL SAYS
It was not immediately known how many Palestinians would be eligible under the program. Those who are eligible will also be offered work permits.
Those considered not eligible are people who have voluntarily returned to the Palestinian territories, anyone convicted of a felony or two or more misdemeanors committed in the U.S., those subject to extradition and anyone who poses a public safety danger, or whose presence here would have adverse foreign policy consequences for the country.
Biden also said many civilians remain in danger in Gaza after the Oct. 7 terror attacks by Hamas.
"There is a desperate need for this," Abed Ayoub, the executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, told the New York Times. "We see the situation in Gaza and Palestine is not getting better, and this is something that is welcome, and we are glad to see it implemented. We hope other measures can come into place."
The move comes as Biden faces pressure from Democrats and pro-Palestinian groups who want his administration to reign in Israel and to quit providing the Jewish state with arms and other military assistance.
Democratic lawmakers have called for Biden to prioritize the safety of Palestinians amid the conflict, which has killed thousands and decimated Gaza.
More than 100 Democratic lawmakers called on the White House to use either deferred enforced departure or a similar authority, called temporary protected status, to ensure that Palestinians currently in the U.S. would not be forced to return to dangerous conditions in Gaza, The Associated Press reported.
"More than 28,000 Palestinians — including thousands of women and children — have been killed in the last four months in Gaza," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Wednesday. "Today’s decision by the Administration protects Palestinians in the United States from being forced to return to these clearly dangerous and deadly conditions."
